Rugby soccer festival highlights talent

RUGBY Town held their 14th annual soccer festival at Kilsby Lane with more than 1,360 players from teams from Coventry, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire taking part in more than 420 ten-minute games.

RUGBY Town held their 14th annual soccer festival at Kilsby Lane with more than 1,360 players from teams from Coventry, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire taking part in more than 420 ten-minute games.

And scouts from Coventry City, Manchester United, West Brom and Leicester were there trying to identify stars of the future.

The U10s semi-finals saw Rugby Town beat Cov Jag 1-0 and Gregory Celtic beat a defiant Admirals team 6-5 on penalties. Celtics’ penalty prowess earned them the winners’ medals with a 7-6 shoot-out win in the final.

Southam A beat Hillmorton 2-1 in the U11s semi-finals and Southam B were beaten 1-0 by hosts Rugby Town. The final saw Rugby Town triumph by a solitary goal.

Thurlaston Magpies, Hinckley, Admirals and Rugby Town secured their places in the U12s semi-finals, with Hinckley and Town progressing through to the final, where Town could not emulate their U11 counterparts and lost 1-0 to Hinckley.

The U13s semi-finals pitched FC Futsal, from Northampton, against Warwick Development and Bugbrooke against Pilkington. Futsal pulled off an excellent 1-0 win over previously unbeaten Warwick and Pilkington beat Bugbrooke 3-0. Futsal could not repeat the feat and lost 3-0 to Pilkington in the final.

In the U14s two teams from Stoneygate Lions fought it out against two teams from Rugby Town. And it was not the hosts’ day as both their teams lost. The all-Stoneygate final saw their A team triumph over the B team.

The second day football for the U7s, U8s and U9s. The U7s, U8s were non-competitive with no finals being played. The U9s semi-finals were keenly contested by Brinklow and Oadby Owls, and Leamington Hibs taking on the long distance travellers Bletchley. Oadby Owls succumbed by two goals to Brinklow and Leamington Hibs scored a 3-1 victory against Bletchley before taking the title with a 1-0 win over Brinklow.

The club would like to thank all the staff, stewards and 38 referees who worked extremely hard over the two days.